Preparation of photopolymeric gravure printing plates

ABSTRACT

Photopolymeric gravure printing plates which are to be developed with water or water/alcohol mixtures after imagewise exposure and have, arranged one on top of the other on a dimensionally stable substrate, a layer (A) which may be bonded to the dimensionally stable substrate by an adhesion-promoting layer and is crosslinkable by actinic radiation, a layer (B) which is sensitive to IR radiation and, if required, a parting layer arranged between layer (A) and layer (B), and a peelable protective film applied to the layer (B), are produced by a process in which the layer (A) consists of a mixture of at least one polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures, copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds which are compatible with this polymeric binder, a photoinitiator or photoinitiator system and, if required, further assistants, the parting layer which may be arranged between layer (A) and layer (B) is oxygen-permeable and the layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation has an optical density ≧2.5 in the actinic range and contains a film-forming polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures and at least one substance which is finely distributed in this binder, absorbs IR radiation and has a high absorbence in the wavelength range from 750 to 20,000 nm, the layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation is structured by laser ablation after the protective film has been peeled off and is then exposed uniformly to actinic radiation, developed with water or water/alcohol mixtures and dried in a conventional manner. The novel process is suitable for the production of gravure printing plates.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of photopolymeric gravure printing plates which are to be developed with water or water/alcohol mixtures after imagewise exposure and have, arranged one on top of the other on a dimensionally stable substrate, a layer (A) which may be bonded to the dimensionally stable substrate by an adhesion-promoting layer and is crosslinkable by actinic radiation, a layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation, if required a parting layer arranged between layer (A) and layer (B), and a peelable protective film applied to the layer (B), and are suitable for digital information transfer, and gravure printing plates produced by this process.

Photopolymeric gravure printing plates which can be developed with water or with an aqueous alcoholic medium consist of a photosensitive photopolymerizable layer which is soluble or dispersible in the developer and is applied to a dimensionally stable substrate, for example polyethylene terephthalate film or steel or aluminum sheet. In order to provide a firm bond, an adhesion-promoting layer may be applied between the photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer which can be developed with water or an aqueous alcoholic medium and the substrate.

A release layer may also be present on the photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer which can be developed with water or an aqueous alcoholic medium, said release layer being required whenever said layer present underneath is so tacky that, when the photographic negative is placed on top, the air present in the vacuum printing frame cannot be uniformly removed and consequently vacuum errors occur during exposure.

The photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer which can be developed with water or an aqueous alcoholic medium can be protected from mechanical damage by a protective film which is present either on said layer or on the release layer present thereon (cf. for example Ullmannn's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Vol. A 13, page 629).

The information contained in the photographic negative is transferred to this photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer which can be developed with water on an aqueous alcoholic medium, in general after removal of the protective film, if present, by application of the photographic negative, removal of the air by means of a vacuum frame and uniform exposure. The well depth of the gravure printing plate and hence the amount of ink transferred during the printing process are controlled by means of the exposure time.

In the subsequent development step, the unpolymerized parts, the wells, can be washed out with the aid of water or water/alcohol mixtures; the photopolymerized parts are insoluble or nondispersible and thus form the surface of the gravure printing plates. In order to remove the water or the water/alcohol mixture from the swollen relief layer, a subsequent drying step is effected. Depending on the photosensitive material the plate may require further processing steps. In the case of some printing plates, for example, uniform post exposure is required in order completely to cure the printing plates.

In this process, the information is thus transferred via a photographic negative. According to the prior art, photographic negatives are produced by exposure of a photosensitive film by means of an exposure unit, for example an optomechanical exposure unit, a CRT (cathode ray tube) exposure unit or a laser exposure unit (He-Ne laser, λ=632 nm), with subsequent development (cf. for example Armin Lautert, Allgemeine Fachkunde der Drucktechnik, pages 42-45, 11th Edition 1993, Baden-Verlag CH-Baden).

The information transferred in this manner to the film originates from a digitized data set. In rotary gravure printing, the printing plate cannot be produced in seamless and continuous form by the use of a negative.

For these reasons, it would be desirable to be able to produce a gravure printing plate without the circuitous route via a photographic negative.

In addition to the shorter production times, the costs for the production of a photographic negative would not be incurred. In addition, the wet chemical processes in film development would no longer be required. This would be associated with the ecological advantage that effluents contaminated with chemicals and metal salts would no longer be produced.

Furthermore, the geometric dimensions of a photographic negative may change as a result of the temperature and atmospheric humidity, which may lead to register problems of the finished gravure printing plate since, when a corresponding photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer is exposed, the information of the photographic negative is transferred as a 1:1 projection.

According to the prior art, UV exposure is carried out through a photographic negative with application of a vacuum, since intensive contact is required between negative and plate surface in order to avoid side lighting and copying errors. The pressure required for the intensive contact between plate surface and negative may press in the dust particles and hence lead to holes in the plate surface which subsequently transfer ink in an undesirable manner in the printing process.

However, UV exposure without reduced pressure would be desirable, in order to be able to utilize the inhibitory effect of the atmospheric oxygen, to be able to control the well depths with less scattering and to avoid the surface defects caused by dust particles.

Digital processes in which no photographic negative is required for information transfer have long been known.

For example, DE 4117127 A1 describes a process in which an image-bearing mask is produced on photosensitive recording elements by using an inkjet printer or an electrophotographic printer. The disadvantage here is that the resolution is insufficient for high-quality gravure printing.

EP 0001138-A1 describes a process for the production of lithographic printing plates with formation of a fugitive negative.

WO 94/03839 decribes a process in which the photosensitive recording element is structured by means of an IR laser and an image-bearing mask is produced in this manner. Here, the photosensitive recording material consists of a substrate, a photosensitive layer, an IR-sensitive layer which is opaque to actinic light and a release layer. On exposure to the IR laser, the exposed parts of the IR-sensitive layer are fixed to the release layer on top and can be removed together with the release layer by peeling off the latter. An image-bearing mask on the photosensitive recording layer is thus obtained. The disadvantage here is that damage, for example scratches in the release layer, which are simultaneously to serve for mechanical protection, leads to defective information transfer. Furthermore, particularly in the case of fine image sections, there is the danger that surrounding parts that remain on the photosensitive recording material may be damaged when the release layer is peeled off, likewise leading to defective information transfer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,275 and WO 94/03838 describe a process in which flexographic printing plates are provided with a digital structure by means of an IR laser. The recording element consists of a substrate, a photosensitive flexographic layer, a barrier layer and an IR-sensitive layer which is opaque to actinic light. The IR-sensitive layer is recorded on directly by means of the IR laser, the IR-sensitive material being evaporated in the parts recorded on and these parts thus becoming transparent to actinic light. The barrier layer present under the IR-sensitive layer on the one hand protects the IR-sensitive layer against diffusion of monomers and other components from the UV-sensitive flexographic layer and prevents the entry of oxygen into the UV-sensitive flexographic layer during UV exposure. As described in WO 94/03838, the UV exposure is not reproducible in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Moreover, longer exposure times are required in the presence of oxygen. Hence, barrier layers which are not permeable to oxygen are used.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a gravure printing plate which can be developed with water or an aqueous alcoholic medium, can be provided with digital recordings by means of an IR laser and, in a subsequent step, can be uniformly exposed to UV light with good reproducibility without reduced pressure.

We have found, surprisingly, that this object is achieved by the novel process, a photosesnsitive recording material which can be developed with water or an aqueous alcoholic medium overcoming the stated disadvantages.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of photopolymeric gravure printing plates which are to be developed with water or water/alcohol mixtures after imagewise exposure and have, arranged one on top of the other on a dimensionally stable substrate, a layer (A) which may be bonded to a dimensionally stable substrate by an adhesion-promoting layer and is crosslinkable by actinic radiation, a layer (B) which is sensitive to IR radiation and, if required, a parting layer arranged between layer (A) and layer (B), and a peelable protective film applied to the layer (B), wherein the layer (A) consists of a mixture of at least one polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures, copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds which are compatible with this polymeric binder, a photoinitiator or photoinitiator system and, if required, further assistants, the parting layer which may be arranged between layer (A) and layer (B) is oxygen-permeable and the layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation has an optical density ≧2.5 in the actinic range and contains a film-forming polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures and at least one substance which is finely distributed in this binder, absorbs IR radiation and has a high absorbence in the wavelength range from 750 to 20,000 nm, the. layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation is structured by laser ablation after the protective film has been peeled off and is then exposed uniformly to actinic radiation, developed with water or water/alcohol mixtures and dried in a conventional manner.

The uniform exposure to actinic radiation can preferably be carried out without the use of reduced pressure.

The present invention furthermore relates to gravure printing plates which were produced by the novel process.

The novel recording element is very useful for digital information transfer.

Suitable dimensionally stable substrates are those usually used for the production of gravure printing plates.

Examples of suitable dimensionally stable substrates are plates, sheets and conical and cylindrical sleeves of metals, such as steel, aluminum, copper or nickel, or of plastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyamide and polycarbonate, woven fabrics and nonwovens, such as glass fiber fabrics, and composite materials comprising glass fibers and plastics.

Particularly suitable dimensionally stable substrates are dimensionally stable substrate sheets and metal sheets, for example polyethylene or polyester sheets or steel, stainless steel or aluminum sheets. These substrate sheets are generally from 50 to 1100 μm, preferably from 75 to 700 μm, for example about 300 μm, thick.

These substrate sheets may be coated with a thin adhesion-promoting layer, for example 1-5 μm thick layer, on that side of the substrate sheet which faces the photosensitive recording layer. This adhesion-promoting layer may consist, for example, of a mixture of a polycarbonate, of a phenoxy resin and a polyfunctional isocyanate.

The photostructurable layer (A) may be present on the dimensionally stable substrate, if necessary also by means of an adhesion-promoting layer and an upper coating.

For example, polyurethane adhesive coatings (for example according to DE-A-30 45 516) based on polyisocyanate-crosslinked polyether or polyester coatings may serve as adhesion-promoting layers, in layer thicknesses of from 0.5 to 50 μm, in particular from 2 to 30 μm.

Upper coatings may be present on that side of the adhesion-promoting layer which faces away from the substrate, have layer thicknesses of from 0.1 to 50 μm, in particular from 1 to 10 μm, and may be obtained, for example, from a dilute aqueous/alcoholic solution of partially hydrolyzed (eg. to an extent of 80 mol%) polyvinyl ester, phenyl glycerol ether monoacrylate and glyoxal, with drying and baking.

The relief-forming layer (A) crosslinkable by actinic radiation, ie. photostructurable, is, according to the invention, a mixture of at least one polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures, copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds compatible with this polymeric binder, a photoinitiator or photoinitiator system and, if required, further assistants and additives, such as thermal polymerization inhibitors, plasticizers and/or colorants, suitable alcohols in the water/alcohol mixtures being methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and isopropanol, preferably ethanol.

Suitable polymeric binders are the ones usually used for the production of printing plates, such as completely or partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl esters, for example partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohol derivatives, eg. partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate/alkylene oxide graft copolymers, or polyvinyl alcohols subsequently acrylated by a polymer-analogous reaction, as described, for example, in EP-A-0079514, EP-A-0224164 or EP-A-0059988, and mixtures thereof.

Also suitable as polymeric binders are polyamides which are soluble in water or water/alcohol mixtures, as described, for example, in EP-A-0085472 or DE-A-1522444.

In the photostructurable layer (A), these polymer binders account for in general from 50 to 98, preferably from 60 to 95, % by weight of the total amount of the photostructurable layer (A).

Suitable copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds are those which are compatible with the polymeric binders chosen in each case. In general, these are mono- and/or polyolefinically unsaturated organic compounds at room temperature, in particular derivatives of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid, such as esters thereof with mono- or polyhydric alcohols, for example acrylates or methacrylates of alcanols of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl (meth)acrylate, isopropyl (meth)acrylate, n-butyl (meth)acrylate, isobutyl (meth)acrylate, tert-butyl (meth)acrylate, hexyl (meth)acrylate, cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth)acrylate or lauryl (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylates of polyhydric alcohols of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, eg. 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, ethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, polyethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, butane-1,4-diol di(meth)acrylate, neopentylglycol di(meth)acrylate, 3-methylpentanediol di(meth)acrylate, 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate, di-, tri- and tetraethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate, tripropylene glycol di(meth)acrylate or pentaerythrityl tetra(meth)acrylate, and poly(ethylene oxide) di(meth)acrylate, ω-methylpoly(ethylene oxide)-yl (meth)acrylate, N,N-diethylaminoethyl acrylate, a reaction product of 1 mol of glycerol, 1 mol of epichlorohydrin and 3 mol of acrylic acid, and glycidyl methacrylate and bisphenol A diglycidyl ether acrylate.

Derivatives of acrylamide and of methacrylamide are also suitable, for example ethers of their N-methylol derivatives with mono- and polyhydric alcohols, eg. ethylene glycol, glycerol, 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane or oligomeric or polymeric ethylene oxide derivatives. These are particularly suitable if polyamides or polyvinyl alcohol are used as binders.

Also suitable are epoxide (meth)acrylates and urethane (meth)acrylates, as can be obtained, for example, by reacting bisphenol A diglycidyl ether with (meth)acrylic acid or by reacting diisocyanates with hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylates or with hydroxyl-containing polyesters or polyethers. olefinically unsaturated organic compounds which may furthermore be used are esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid, in particular those having a low vapor pressure and those which are modified with compatibilizers, for example with hydroxyl, amido, sulfoester or sulfonamido groups. Mixtures of the abovementioned copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compounds may also be used. Said compounds may be present in the photostructurable layer in amounts of from 1 to 60, preferably from 10 to 45, % by weight, based on the total amount of the photostructurable layer.

Suitable photoinitiators or photoinitiator systems are those generally used for photosensitive recording materials, for example free radical photoinitiators, eg. benzoin or benzoin derivatives, such as benzoin ethers or straight-chain or branched monoalcohols of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, eg. benzoin methyl ether, benzoin ethyl ether, benzoin isopropyl ether, benzoin n-butyl ether or benzoin isobutyl ether, symmetrically or asymmetrically substituted benzil acetals, such as benzil dimethyl acetal or benzil 1-methyl 1-ethyl acetal, diarylphosphine oxides, such as 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide or 2,6-dimethoxybenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide, ethyl 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphenylphosphinate or acyldiarylphosphine oxides according to German Laid-Open Application DOS 2,909,992, diacylphosphine oxides or substituted and unsubstituted quinones, such as ethylanthraquinone, benzanthraquinone, benzophenone or 4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone. They may be used alone or as a mixture with one another or in combination with coinitiators, for example ethylanthraquinone with 4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone, benzoin methyl ether with triphenylphosphine, diacylphosphine oxides with tertiary amines or acyldiarylphosphine oxides with benzil dimethyl acetal.

The photoinitiators are present in the photostructurable layer (A) usually in amounts of from 0.1 to 10, preferably from 0.5 to 5, % by weight, based on the total amount of the photostructurable layer.

In addition to polymeric binders, copolymerizable olefinically unsaturated organic compounds and photoinitiators, the photostructurable layer (A) may contain further assistants and additives, for example from 0.001 to 2% by weight, based on the total amount of the photostructurable layer, of thermal polymerization inhibitors which have no significant self-absorption in the actinic range in which the photoinitiator absorbs may be added, eg. 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, hydroquinone, p-methoxyphenol, -naphthol, phenothiazine, pyridine, nitrobenzene, m-dinitrobenzene or chloranil; thiazine dyes, such as Thionine Blue G (C. I. 52025), Methylene Blue B (C. I. 52015) or Toluidine Blue (C. I. 52040); or N-nitrosamines, such as N-nitrosodiphenylamine, or the salts, for example the potassium, calcium or aluminum salts, of N-nitrosocyclohexylhydroxylamine.

Suitable dyes, pigments or photochromic additives may also be added to the novel photostructurable layer (A) in an amount of from 0.0001 to 2% by weight, based on the mixture of the layer (A). They are used for controlling the exposure properties, for identification, for direct monitoring of the exposure result or for aesthetic purposes. A precondition for the choice and the amount of such additives is that they have just as little an adverse effect on the photopolymerization of the mixtures as do the thermal polymerization inhibitors. For example, the soluble phenazinium, phenoxazinium, acridinium and phenothiazinium dyes, such as Neutral Red (C. I. 50040), Safranine T (C. I. 50240), Rhodanil Blue, the salt or amide of Rhodamine D (Basic Violet 10, C. I. 45170), Methylene Blue B (C. I. 52015), Thionine Blue G (C. I. 52025), or Acridine Orange (C. I. 46005), and Solvent Black 3 (C. I. 26150) are suitable. These dyes may also be used together with a sufficient amount of a reducing agent which does not reduce the dye in the absence of actinic light but is capable of reducing the dye in the excited electronic state on exposure. Examples of such mild reducing agents are ascorbic acid, anethole, thiourea, eg. diethylallylthiourea, in particular N-allylthiourea, and hydroxylamine derivatives, in particular salts of N-nitrosocyclohexylhydroxylamine, preferably the potassium, calcium and aluminum salts. As stated, the latter may simultaneously serve as thermal polymerization inhibitors. The reducing agents may be added in general in amounts of from 0.005 to 5% by weight, based on the mixture of the layer (A), the addition of from 3 to 10 times the amount of concomitantly used dye having proven useful in many cases.

To increase the scratch resistance and abrasion resistance, finely divided, hard, abrasive particles, as described in DE-A-3128949 (EP 070511), may be added. For example silicas, in particular quartz powder, silicates, such as aluminum silicates or silicate glasses, aluminas, in particular corundum, titanium dioxide and/or carbides, such as silicon carbide or tungsten carbide, may be used as abrasive particles.

The production of the photostructurable layer (A) from the individual components can be carried in the conventional manner by mixing the components with the aid of known mixing methods and by processing this mixture to give the photostructurable layer by means of known techniques, such as casting from solution, calendering or extrusion, and these measures may also be combined with one another in a suitable manner. The thickness of the photostructurable layer is advantageously from about 0.03 to 2 mm, in particular from 100 μm to 1000 μm.

The layer (B) which is sensitive to IR radiation and laser-ablatable and, if required, an intermediate layer comprising an oxygen-permeable developer-soluble or developer-dispersible polymer are present on the photostructurable layer.

Such an intermediate layer is capable of reducing the diffusion of monomers from the photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer into the IR-sensitive layer (B) thereon and of protecting the photosensitive, photopolymerizable layer from the action of the laser beam during the laser ablation. Moreover, this intermediate layer is permeable to atmospheric oxygen so that atmospheric oxygen can gain access during the UV-exposure following the laser ablation and more exact control of the well depth is thus achieved.

Examples of such water- or water/alcohol-soluble or dispersible polymers suitable as oxygen-permeable intermediate layers are partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl esters, for example partially hydroxylzed polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohol derivatives, such as partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate/alkylene oxide graft copolymers, maleic anhydride copolymers, such as copolymers of maleic anhydride and isobutene or maleic anhydride and vinyl methyl ether, water-soluble polyesters, water-soluble polyethers, homo- and copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone, vinylcaprolactam, vinylimidazole, vinyl acetate and acrylamide, water-soluble polyurethanes, polyamides which are soluble in water or water/alcohol mixtures, and mixtures of these polymers.

The layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation consists of one or more water-soluble or water-dispersible or water/alcohol-soluble or --dispersible binders, an IR-absorbing material which is finely distributed in this binder and has strong absorption in the wavelength range from 750 to 20,000 nm, preferably from 750 to 5000 nm, and, if required, a plasticizer. The IR-sensitive layer (B) has an optical density of ≧2.5, preferably from 3 to 5, in relation to actinic light.

Examples of such binders are partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl esters, for example partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohol derivatives, such as partially hydrolyzed vinyl acetate/alkylene oxide graft copolymers, maleic anhydride copolymers, eg. copolymers of maleic anhydride and isobutene or maleic anhydride and vinyl methyl ether, water-soluble polyesters, water-soluble polyethers, homo- and copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone, vinylcaprolactam, vinylimidazole, vinyl acetate and acrylamide, water-soluble polyurethanes, polyamides which are soluble in water or in water/alcohol mixtures, and mixtures of these polymers.

Dyes and/or pigments may be used as IR-absorbing material. The dyes used may be, for example, phthalocyanines and substituted phthalocyanine derivatives, cyanine and merocyanine dyes and polymethine dyes. For example, carbon black, graphite, chromium oxide and iron oxides may be used as pigments.

The IR-absorbing material is used in a concentration in which it is effective for the novel application. In general, from 1 to 60% by weight, based on the total weight of the layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation are required.

All compounds which absorb UV light may be used for rendering the IR-sensitive layer (B) impermeable to actinic light. Examples are the abovementioned dyes and pigments. Most initiators in photosensitive layers are sensitive to UV light. Carbon black is therefore frequently used as a pigment in the IR-sensitive layer. When carbon black is used as a pigment in the IR-sensitive layer, it is possible to dispense with the use of a further IR-absorbing material. The concentration of the material which is impermeable to actinic light is chosen so that the required optical density is reached. In general, an optical density greater than 2.5 is required. When carbon black is used as the pigment in the IR-sensitive layer (B), from about 1 to 60, preferably from 10 to 40, % by weight, based on the total weight of the IR-sensitive layer (B), are used.

Water and/or water-miscible organic solvents, for example alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol or tetrahydrofuran, are preferred as solvents for the production of the IR-sensitive layer (B). After combining the components binder, IR-absorbing material and, if required, further assistants, such as plasticizers, surfactants and leveling agents, these are mixed homogeneously with one another in a conventional mixing or dispersing apparatus, such as a stirrer or dissolver. The concentration of the binder and of the IR-absorbing material is from 1 to 80% by weight, based on the total solution. After the solution has been cast on a sheet, for example of polyethylene terephthalate, the resulting thin film is then dried. The dried film has a thickness of from 0.5 to 15 μm, preferably from 3 to 10 μm.

The application of the intermediate layer may be effected in a further casting step by casting a dilute solution of the binder of the intermediate layer on the IR-sensitive layer and immediately carrying out drying. The thickness of the oxygen-permeable layer may be from 1 to 10 μm. The photostructurable layer (A) can then be applied in a further step.

Another process for the production of the novel layer structure starts from a gravure printing plate which is produced by the procedure described, in which, if necessary, the intermediate layer is applied between the UV-sensitive layer and the protective film. After removal of the protective film, the IR-sensitive layer described above is laminated with the intermediate layer, if necessary with the use of a solvent, such as water or a water/alcohol mixture, and, if necessary, said layers are firmly bonded to one another with the aid of a calender.

It is also possible to apply the intermediate layer to the IR-sensitive layer and to apply the laminate to the gravure printing plate.

The UV light sources (main emission range from 320 to 400 nm) which are usually used for photopolymer printing plates may be employed for exposing the layer (A) crosslinkable by actinic light, for example flat-plate exposure units equipped with fluorescent tubes (eg. Philips TL 10R 40W or BASF nyloprint 40W BL 366). The 80×107 nyloprint exposure unit is equipped, for example, with 18 high-power UV fluorescent tubes of this type.

Washing out unexposed parts of the photopolymer printing plates, subsequent washing and preliminary drying can be carried out with the commercial washout systems suitable for this purpose. For example, the nyloprint washout system DW85 operates according to the washout principle employing a brush washer. Drying can then be effected in continuous dryers, for example in a nyloprint DT85 continuous dryer.

The combination of washout system with continuous dryer is denoted by the nyloprint DW/DT85 continuous unit.

In the Examples and Comparative Examples which follow, parts and percentages are by weight, unless stated otherwise.

The production of a novel, photosensitive recording element is described in Examples 1 and 2.

EXAMPLE 1

A water-soluble IR-sensitive layer (B) was produced by dissolving 2 parts of carbon black (eg. Printex® U from Degussa) and 6 parts of a polyvinyl alcohol (eg. Mowiol® 5-72 from Hoechst) in 80 parts of water and 20 parts of n-propanol. n-Propanol is used as leveling agent in order to achieve good wetting during casting of this solution on a polyethylene terephthalate sheet. After combination of the components, these were treated in a disperser (Ultra Turrax) for 2 hours in order to prepare a finely divided dispersion. The dispersion thus obtained was cast on a polyethylene terephthalate sheet (125 μm Mylar® from DuPont), this being done in such a way that the resulting film had a layer thickness of 8 μm and an optical density of 4.5 after drying.

This layer was laminated with a commercial water-developable gravure printing plate on steel sheet, eg. nylograv® WSA 52 (manufacturer BASF Aktiengesellschaft) with the use of propanol/water (18:1) as a laminating solvent, after the protective film had been removed from this plate.

After the protective film had been peeled off, the photosensitive recording material was mounted on a vacuum drum and exposed by means of an Nd-YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm). The spot diameter of the IR beam was adjusted to 20 μm. This was an exposure unit from Baasel-Scheel. Thereafter, the plate was exposed uniformly to UV light of wavelength 320-400 nm without reduced pressure in an 80×107 nyloprint® exposure unit equipped with Philips TL 10R 40W tubes and was washed out with water in a nyloprint DW/DT 85 continuous unit, dried for 30 minutes at 100° C. and postexposed. A printing plate having an excellent gradation of well depths and a scatter of well depths with a constant exposure time of ±1 μm and giving excellent printed copies was obtained. The nonprinting parts were absolutely defect-free.

EXAMPLE 2

A water-soluble IR-sensitive layer was produced by dissolving 2 parts of carbon black (Printex U from Degussa) and 8 parts of a polyvinyl alcohol (eg. KP 205 from Kuraray) in 80 parts of water and 20 parts of n-propanol. After combination of the components, these were treated in a disperser (Ultra Turrax) for 2 hours in order to prepare a finely divided dispersion. The dispersion thus obtained was cast on a polyethylene terephthalate sheet (125 μm thick; eg. Lumirror® from Toray Ind.), this being done in such a way that the resulting film had a layer thickness of 8 μm and an optical density of 4.5 after drying. Thereafter, an oxygen-permeable layer was applied to the IR-sensitive layer, said oxygen-permeable layer being prepared from 45 parts of water and 2 parts of a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (Mowiol 5-88 from Hoechst), cast on the IR-sensitive layer and immediately dried, this being done in such a way that the dried oxygen-permeable layer had a thickness of 6 μm.

This laminate was laminated with a commercial water/alcohol-developable gravure printing plate on steel sheet, eg. nylograv® ST 52 gravure printing plate (manufacturer BASF Aktiengesellschaft), with the use of propanol/water (5:1) as a laminating solvent, after the protective film had been removed from this plate.

After the protective film had been peeled off, the photosensitive recording material was mounted on a vacuum drum and exposed by means of an Nd-YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm). The spot diameter of the IR beam was adjusted to 20 μm. This was an exposure unit from Baasel-Scheel. Thereafter, the plate was exposed uniformly to UV light without reduced pressure in an 80×107 nyloprint® exposure unit and was washed out with a 5:1 ethanol/water mixture in a continuous washer operating according to the principle employing a brush washer, eg. nylograv® DW100 EX/100 (BASF Aktiengesellschaft), dried in a dryer, eg. nylograv dryer FII, for 30 minutes at 120° C. and then postexposed. A printing plate having an excellent gradation of well depths and a scatter of well depths with a constant exposure time of ±1 μm and giving excellent printed copies was obtained. The nonprinting parts were absolutely defect-free.

Comparative Example 1

A water-developable gravure printing plate (eg. nylograv® WSA 52 from BASF AG) was, in contrast to Example 1, uniformly exposed in a vacuum frame to UV light through a negative and not through the mask produced by laser ablation of the IR-sensitive layer. Both the negative and the mask were produced from the same digital data set; the geometrical dimensions of the image sections permeable to actinic light were thus absolutely identical in both processes. After the subsequent development steps (washout, drying, postexposure), a printing plate having a coarse gradation of the well depth and a scatter of the well depth with constant exposure time of ±5 μm was obtained. The finished printing plate as mounted on a printing press and proofs were printed. The printed copies corresponded to the prior art, and dust particles which were enclosed under the negative and pressed into the surface as a result of the reduced pressure produced defects during printing.

Comparative Example 2

The IR-sensitive layer was produced as described in Example 1. Thereafter, an oxygen-impermeable layer was applied to the IR-sensitive layer, said oxygen-impermeable layer being produced from 45 parts of water and from 2 parts of a completely hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol (Mowiol 66-100 from Hoechst AG), cast on the IR-sensitive layer and immediately dried, this being done in such a way that the dried oxygen-impermeable layer had a thickness of 6 μm.

This laminate was laminated as in Example 1 with the commercial gravure printing plate, eg. nylograv® WSA 52, after the protective film had been removed from this plate.

This photosensitive recording material produced in this manner was mounted on a vacuum drum after the protective film had been peeled off and was exposed by means of an Nd-YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm). The spot diameter of the IR beam was adjusted to 20 μm. Here too, an exposure unit from Baasel-Scheel was used. Thereafter, the plate was exposed uniformly to UV light in an 80×107 nyloprint exposure unit without a vacuum and was washed out with water in a nyloprint DW/DT 85 continuous unit, dried for 30 minutes at 100° C. and postexposed. A printing plate having a poor gradation of the well depths and a scatter of the well depths with constant exposure time of ±10 μm was obtained. The printed copy did not meet the requirements for a gravure printing plate. 

We claim:
 1. A process for the production of photopolymeric gravure printing plates which are to be developed with water or/water alcohol mixtures after imagewise exposure and have, arranged one on top of the other on a dimensionally stable substrate, a layer (A) which is crosslinkable by actinic radiation and is optionally bonded to the dimensionally stable substrate by an adhesion-promoting layer, a layer (B) which is sensitive to IR radiations and wherein the photopolymeric gravure printing plate contains no intermediate layer between layers (A) and (B), and a peelable protective film applied on top of the layer (B), wherein the layer (A) comprises a mixture of at least one polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures, copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated organic compound which are compatible with this polymeric binder, a photoinitiator or photoinitiator system and, optionally, further assistants, and the layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation has an optical density ≧2.5 in the actinic range and contains a film-forming polymeric binder which is soluble or dispersible in water or water/alcohol mixtures and at least one substance which is finely distributed in this binder, absorbs IR radiation and has a high absorbance in the wavelength range from 750 to 20,000 nm, the process comprising peeling the protective film off, then structuring layer (B) sensitive to IR radiation by laser ablation, then exposing layer (A) uniformly to actinic radiation through structured layer (B), then developing with water or water/alcohol mixtures followed by drying the developed product. 